Vibrator and circuit



March 31, 1936. w. w. GARSTANG 2,035,875

VIBRATOR AND CIRCUIT Filed Dec. 22, 1934 15 L t-ii!- 1 85? 12 lNVENTORWIN/am W fifimtang,

ATTORNEYS for absorbing the Patented Mar. 31, 1936 UNITED STATESVIBRATOR AND CIRCUIT Wi liam W. Garstang,

Indianapolis, Ind, as-

signor to Electronic Laboratories, Incorporated,

Indianapolis, Ind a Application December 22, 1934, Serial No.

8 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in converters of thevibrator-operated type for converting D. G. into increased voltage A. C.current. This type of converter generally includes a transformer throughthe primary winding of which the D. C. current is alternately passed inopposite directions, the passage of current being controlled by anelectromagnetically operated vibrator including a vibrating reed andrelatively stationary contacts. It is one of the objects of my inventionto provide means for preventing excessive sparking at the contactsduring the opening and closing thereof by providing suitable resistancein the circuit of the primary winding kick back of the primary windingwhen the circuit therethrough is ultimately closed and ultimatelyopened.

For the purpose of disclosing my invention I have illustrated saidembodiments thereof in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is aside elevation of a vibrator for use in connection with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail section on the line Fig. 1:

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of my invention. and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a modification of the embodimentillustrated in Fig. 3.

Referring first to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3, the transformerhaving a primary winding I and a secondary winding 2 having a primarycoil is connected intermediate of its ends by the conductor 3 with oneside of the line.

One end of the primary winding is connected by conductor 4 with arelatively stationary contact 5 of a suitable vibrator. The opposite endof the primary winding is connected by conductors 6, I and 8 withanother relatively stationary contact 9. A vibrating reed l vibratesbetween these contacts having on its opposite faces contacts l l and I2for engagement respectively with contacts and 9. This reed is connectedby conductor l3 through a resistance It with the opposite side of theline. The reed I0 is vibrated by an electromagnet having a coil l5connected at one end by the conductor 16 with the conductor l3 andconnected at its opposite end through an increasing resistance elementll, preferably in the form of a lamp, by a conductor IS with conductor1.

The resistance I4 is adapted to be short circuited by a secondary pairof contacts l9 and 20 respectively connected by conductors 21 and 22with conductor l3 and adapted to be engaged respectively by contacts 23and 24 on the vibrating reed ID. These contacts l9 and 20 are adapted tobe closed after the contacts 5 or 9 and opened before the contacts 5 or9.

The vibrator of which the reed l0 and coil [5 form'a part is shown morein detail in Figs. 1

corporation of Indiana and 2. As shown in these figures, a pair of sidebars 25 have clamped between them an electromagnet 26 of which thewinding l5 constitutes the winding, and which is provided with asuitable core as well as pole pieces 21. At the lower end I clampbetween the side pieces 25 the vibrating reec. ill which has mounted on:ts upper end an armature 28 adapted to come within the influence of theelectromagnet 28. This reed is clamped between layers of suit-ableinsulation to insulate the same from the remaining parts of the vibratorand carries the contacts H and I2. The contacts 5 and 9 with which thecontacts H and 52 are adapted to engage are mounted on spring fingers 29and 30 likewise clamped between the lower ends of the side bars 25 andsuitably insulated from the vibrating reed l0. Also clamped between theside bars 25 at their lower ends is a second pair of spring fingers 3|and 32 carrying the contacts l9 and 20. It will be noted that the twosets of fingers 29 and 30 and 3i and 32 are arranged side by side butspaced apart from one another so that there is no electrical connectionbetween the same. It will also be noted that the contacts apart furtherfrom the vibrating reed than are the contacts 5 and 9. Each of thefingers above described, as well as the vibrating reed is provided atits lower end with extensions or projections to which the conductors maybe connected.

Referring now again to the diagrammatic illustration in Fig. 3, it willbe seen that when cirsuit is first established current will flow, sayfrom one side of the line through conductor [3, re-

sistance l4, conductor l6, winding l5, conductors l8, 1 and 6 throughone section of the primary winding l and back by conductor 3 to theopposite side of the line. The electromagnet is thus energized andstarts the reed ID to vibrating, moving the reed to the right, lookingat Fig. 3, to establish circuit through one side of the line, throughconductor 13, resistance l4, vibrating reed l0, contacts l2 and 9,conductors l and 8 through one section of the primary winding and backto the opposite side of the line through conductor 3. In this movementit willbe seen that the winding I5 is short circuited and that thecurrent flows through the primary winding section and through theresistance M. The con tinued movement of the reed contacts 20 and 24 toengage, thus closing the circuit through the same winding section asheretofore described but short circuiting the section l4. With thewinding 15 electromagnet is deenergized and the reed vibrates in theopposite direction, first opening the circuit through the contacts 24and 20 and then through the contacts l2 and 9. This reestablishes thecircuit through the winding H but only momentarily and the momentum ofthe i9 and 20 are spaced 10, however, causes short circuited the reed I0is sufiicient to carry past the center point to first engage contacts II and 5, closing the circuit in the opposite direction through the othersection of the primary winding, first through the resistance I 4 andthen by contacts 23 and I9 short circuiting this resistance l4.

While the reed I0 normally stands in a position intermediate of the twosets of contacts, as illustrated in Fig. 3, this reed is sufiicientlyflexible so that when it is attracted in one direction under theinfluence of the electromagnet causing contacts say 9 and I2, and afterit has made this contact, the reed can bend slightly so the finers onwhich the contacts 9 and I2 are mounted, will give sufiiciently for thecontacts 24 and I 0 to engage. Furthermore, the reed has sufficientresiliency to, when it is released from under the influence of theelectromagnet, spring in the opposite direction past the center point,to engage contacts 5 and It and then H! and 23, so that, as long as thewinding 15 of the electromagnet is intermittently energized, thisvibration of the reed will continue.

It will be noted that in this operation the resistance M will absorb anykick back in the primary winding l and will thus prevent excessivesparking between the contacts of the vibrator controlling the circuit.When the circuit is first closed through the primary winding it isclosed including the resistance I 4, this resistance ultimately beingcut out of the circuit of the primary winding to obtain the maximumefficiency of the winding, and when the circuit is opened the resistanceI4 is first introduced into the primary winding circuit before theultimate opening of the primary winding circuit so that dangerous orexcessive sparking at the contact points is eliminated withoutunnecessarily impairing the efficiency of the apparatus.

In the structure illustrated in Fig. 4 I have illustrated a furthermodification of my invention wherein I have provided an additionalsection I4 of the winding [4, this section being controlled by a thirdset of contacts 33 and 34, relatively stationarily mounted and 35 and 36on the opposite sides of the vibrating reed. By this arrangement thefirst section [4' of the resistance is cut out, then the second section[4 is cut out so that a gradually decreasing resistance is introduced inthe circuit of the primary winding during the closing of the circuitthereof and a gradually increasing resistance is introduced in thecircuit of the primary winding on the opening of the circuit thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a transformer, a vibrator for alternately closing thecircuit through a portion of the primary winding of said transformer inopposite directions including a pair of relatively stationary contactsconnected to the oppo-' site terminals of said primary winding, avibrating reed connected to one side of the supply line to alternatelyengage said contacts-a resistance in series with said reed, and a secondpair of contacts adapted to be alternately engaged by said reed afterthe circuits have been closed through said first-mentioned contacts, forshortcircuiting said resistance.

2. In combination, a transformer, a vibrator for alternately closing thecircuit through a portion of the primary winding of said transformer inopposite directions, and a common resistance in troduced in the primarywinding circuit upon the initial movement of the reed of said vibratorin either direction to close the primary winding circuit and which iscut out of said primary winding circuit by the continued closingmovement of said vibrator reed and vice versa.

3. In combination, a transformer, a vibrator for alternately closing thecircuit of separate portions of one winding of said transformer inopposite directions including a vibrating reed and a plurality ofsuccessively engaged contacts, the first of said contacts closing acircuit through said winding including resistance common to each portionof the win ing and the remaining contacts closing a circuit through saidwinding with at least a portion of said resistance cutout and viceversa.

4. In combination, a transformer, a vibrator for alternately closing thecircuit through a portion of the primary winding of said transformer inopposite directions, including a vibrating reed connected to one side ofthe supply line through a resistance, a pair of contacts adapted to bealternately engaged by said reed in its vibration connected to theopposite terminals of said primary winding, and a second pair ofcontacts spaced further from said reed than said first-mentionedcontacts and connected to the supply line between said resistance andthe supply line.

5. In combination, a transformer, means for alternately closing thecircuit through separate portions of the primary winding of saidtransformer in opposite directions, including an oscillating switchmember connected to one side of the supply line and resistance common toeach portion of the primary winding interposed between said switchmember and the supply line, and means for short circuiting saidresistance after said member has closed the circuit through the primarywinding and before said member has opened the circuit through saidwinding.

6. In combination, a transformer, a vibrator for alternately closing thecircuit through a portion of the primary winding of said transformer inopposite directions, means for introducing a resistance common to eachprimary winding ciri'nitial movement of the reed to close the circuit ineither direction and gradually reducing said resistance by the continuedclosing movement of said means and vice versa.

7. In combination, a transformer, means for alternately closing thecircuit through a portion of the primary winding of said transformer inopposite directions, said means being adapted to introduce a commonresistance in said primary winding circuit upon the closing of thecircuit in either direction and adapted by continued circuit closingmovement'to remove said resistance from the primary winding circuit andvice versa.

8. In combination, a transformer, means for alternately closing thecircuit through a portion of the primary'winding ofsaid transformer inopposite directions, said means being adapted to introduce a commonresistance in said primary winding circuit upon the closing of thecircuit in either direction and adapted by continued circuit closingmovement to gradually remove said resistance from the primary windingcircuit and vice versa. 1

WILLIAM W. GARSTANG.

